In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 12

EPISODE 12

Thump, thump. The sound of a heartbeat flowed slowly through their touching skin. As she propped herself up slightly with her arms, the grip of Noah’s hands, which were wrapped around Cordelia’s back, loosened.

At a glance, it looked like Cordelia had pounced on Noah. Her long, voluminous golden hair cascaded down beside Noah’s face like a waterfall.

In that position, Cordelia stared blankly at Noah’s face. Though she thought he was cute and charming, his strong hands holding her, broad shoulders, and sharply defined face made him unmistakably a man. Perhaps because of his job, a faint scent of paint mixed with his natural scent, creating a unique aroma.

She should thank him and get up, but it felt as if she were under a spell, unable to move… or rather, she wasn’t trying to move.

Taking advantage of the situation, Cordelia indulged in looking at Noah’s face, lost in a small dilemma. She was, of course, very serious about it.

Isn’t this the perfect mood for a kiss?

Should she push forward here or test the waters a bit more? If things moved too quickly, it might seem reckless. Would it be better to proceed cautiously? But then again, all opportunities in life…

“Cordelia.”

“Huh?”

Cordelia tensed up at the low voice calling her name. Wow, even his voice is nice? This is unfair.

No matter how she looked at him, it was nerve-wracking to think of presenting him to others. No matter how much she thought about it, it felt like she needed to make things official. But then again, touching him without permission was a bit…

While her conscience and reason were clashing, Noah, with a serious expression, spoke up.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Huh?”

Cordelia made a dumbfounded sound without realizing it. His face, quietly asking, was as calm as if he had never been surprised.

“…No, I’m not.”

“That’s a relief. Then, could you please move aside?”

There wasn’t the slightest hint of desire in his brisk voice. As Cordelia, with a dumbfounded expression, moved aside, Noah quickly picked up the scattered tools. Seeing him casually gather the canvas, Cordelia suddenly realized.

She should have checked!

“Are you really doing this?”

“I’ll show you later.”

Cordelia glared, but Noah neatly turned his back. Sitting there, she stared at his broad back, which seemed as vast as a plain. His nonchalant demeanor showed no hint of personal interest, to the point where it hurt her pride.

When there’s no reaction, it makes you even more stubborn!

If her sisters had seen this, they would have shaken their heads and told her to temper her fiery nature, but unfortunately, there were no sisters around to stop her.

Noah stood up after organizing the scattered items. At the same time, as a hand grabbed his waist, Noah’s body stiffened momentarily. He turned around like lightning and saw Cordelia hugging him from behind.

“Can’t you stop painting and come out to play? The weather is so nice.”

Her face, slightly tilted up with a smile, was as delicate as a blooming flower. Cordelia was relatively tall among the women of the kingdom, but there was still a significant difference in height between her and Noah. The face right in front of her was smooth without a single blemish.

Cordelia met Noah’s dazed gaze with a triumphant smile inwardly.

How about this!

“Then shall we go out?”

Huh?

Though he had been caught off guard, Noah soon smiled kindly and gently removed Cordelia’s hands. He scratched his cheek awkwardly as he faced her bewildered expression.

“Well, I’ve been painting for five days straight, so it’s understandable you’d be bored. It’s almost done, so taking a short break should be fine.”

It usually didn’t take this long to paint a single portrait. Although he didn’t work long hours each day, he wasn’t one to talk much while working. But accommodating his chatty companion had slowed down the process. Of course, it was by his own choice.

It’s hard for the painter, but sitting still isn’t easy either, especially for someone like Cordelia who was more accustomed to moving around. Noah reflected, thinking he might have been too focused on his own way of working.

“Cordelia?”

“…You’re not saying you’re going home, right? You mean you’re going out with me?”

“Yes. Oh, was I being insensitive? If you’re uncomfortable, I can leave…”

“No! I’d love that. Let’s get ready quickly. You change your clothes and pack your tools. We can leave them here and come back tomorrow.”

She hastily answered, fearing he might change his mind, but something felt off about the flow. Cordelia blinked quietly.

Wait a minute.

Sure, she wanted to go out, but was that it? Was that all the reaction he had to such a beautiful person? Is he even a man?

All sorts of unreasonable complaints clouded Cordelia’s mind. Suppressing the urge to grab him by the collar and shake him, she awkwardly lowered her hand.

“I have a place in mind… huh?”

No sooner had she withdrawn her hand than Noah grabbed it again, leaving her bewildered. Ignoring her confusion, Noah inspected the back of her hand with a serious expression.

“You have a wound.”

There was a small scratch on the back of her right hand, which had a pattern drawn on it. The skin had turned red and was slightly stinging from scraping the floor, but Cordelia replied lightly.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s better to apply some medicine before we go out.”

“Come on, it’s just a scratch.”

“You almost got seriously hurt earlier too. You need to be careful.”

Though he didn’t insist any further, Noah inspected Cordelia’s hand for an embarrassingly long time before cautiously letting it go.

“Alright, I’ll go change my clothes.”

Noah bowed slightly and turned to open the door, stepping out into the hallway. Cordelia listened to the sound of his footsteps fading away before collapsing onto the sofa. Her clothes would get wrinkled, but she didn’t care.

Lying on her back, she stretched out her hand and looked at the back of it, then let out a small laugh. What was such a little scratch that he worried so much?

“Ah, really, this is confusing.”

Kindness was kindness, but… it was ambiguous what kind of emotions were behind it. Or was it just that her beauty was so overwhelming that it flustered him? Well, pretty things do catch the eye, and the situation wasn’t bad.

As long as she gets to her destination safely, who cares how she gets there?

“Oh, right. My hair!”

Cordelia jumped up and sighed as she saw her hair, already pressed and disheveled. Sitting down properly, she rang the bell to call Rosa, her expression a complex mix of emotions.

Contrary to Cordelia’s worries, Noah was not much different.

After leaving with his tools, Noah headed to the empty room Cordelia had given him to use comfortably when he first came to the house. His steps were neither quick nor slow, moving in a steady rhythm.

As soon as he entered the room and closed the door, he slid down against it, covering his face with his large hands. Between his fingers, his flushed skin was visible.

“That was close…”

Mumbling in his pleasant voice, he hung his head low. He needed to compose himself before going back out. His heartbeat was too loud; if he went out like this, it would surely be noticeable.

“…What did I even say just now?”

As he desperately tried to remain calm, the recent events started to come back to him bit by bit. He sighed softly as he hurriedly recalled.

“Ah. What am I doing?”

Noah, who had been clutching his head for a while, suddenly stood up. Using the excuse of getting ready, he busied himself with various tasks, nearly tripping over the floor before finally regaining his composure.

The two of them set off for the nearby town in a carriage. Cordelia wore a bright blue dress and a wide-brimmed hat, with white gloves on her hands. Noah, wearing black gloves of the same material, sat opposite her, fidgeting with his hands on his knees.

“Where are we going?”

“I thought we’d stop by a bookstore first.”

“You’re going to buy books yourself?”

Don’t people usually send servants for that? Noah tilted his head curiously, and Cordelia nodded.

“There’s something I want to see. It’s not like I don’t have legs, and sometimes I need to move around like this.”

“It will mostly be commoners around, won’t your outfit draw too much attention?”

“That’s the point.”

“Pardon?”

“In everything, it’s important to establish dominance!”

Why on earth would you need to assert dominance just to go to a bookstore?

Swallowing quietly, Noah glanced over at Cordelia, knowing it was rude to stare at someone for long. Ever so slightly, knowing it was rude to stare at people for long.

“Do you want to stare at me openly?”

At the playful remark, Noah was startled and lowered his head. Seeing the redness in his ears, Cordelia, who was about to laugh heartily as usual, covered her mouth in a refined manner and chuckled, ‘Ho ho ho.’

Liam would have scolded her for laughing like a witch if he had heard. Suddenly reminded of her nemesis of a friend, Cordelia wrinkled her nose.

Ah, and since it’s her sister’s birthday, that guy must have come up to the capital as well. She might run into him at the party the day after tomorrow.

He’s such a social disaster that he’d undoubtedly try to latch onto her this time too. It’s just as well that his cold appearance keeps people from approaching easily; among the people Cordelia knows, he is the most introverted and difficult to deal with.

“By the way, why are you in such good shape? You just sit around drawing all day.”